The past few days has seen a clear escalation in the violence coming from the Bahraini security forces. Videos such as the ones below have shown Police using petrol bombs and molotov cocktails against protesters.

In the past week protesters have alleged that Police Officers have been seen carrying knives and other weapons as well as what is exhibited above.

This morning the Headquarters of Al Wefaq, Bahrain’s largest opposition party, were attacked with tear gas and rubber bullets. Openly attacking the main building of the official opposition certainly suggests a new level of overt violence from the state.

Khalil AlMarzooq

“It certainly seems that there is an escalation of the violence in these past few days,” said former Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Al Wefaq MP Khalil AlMarzooq.

He thinks there are a few reasons for this. “Maybe because it’s the holiday season and they think people will not be watching,” is one reason he gave for this new level of violence.

“But more likely The Government have been encouraged by some positive statements from the international community after the BICI report”.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry was published one month ago to the day and in that time 5 people have been killed in Bahrain protests.

According to Khalil AlMarzooq this level of violence is not the actions of a few rogue officers but is instead the official policy of the Bahraini authorities.

“The Government knows 1o0% what is happening here. They justify these actions by saying it is proportional to the violence shown by those demonstrating. But this is a lie, when the world can see videos of protesters unarmed and chanting that they are peaceful.”

“It is naive to think that these brutal actions are just one or two individual officers. Why would they act this way without it coming from their superiors? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“How can this Government be serious about dialogue and reconciliation when it is acting in this way?”